Metamorphosis
by InoFan
Summary: ShinoHina. Shino tries to take care of a wounded Hinata, and is surprised at her boldness.


Notes: This was for Riomi-sama's challenge on rpnojutsu. I've never written for these characters before, so I'm fully expecting it to suck. And for people to yell at me that Shino and Hinata aren't in character. ; I tried to edit this so it would be more 'R' appropriate. I hope I succeeded. 

_She says I need not to need   
or else a love with intuition   
Someone who reaches out to my weakness   
and won't let go   
I need not to need   
I've always been the tower   
but now I feel like I'm the flower   
trying to bloom in snow   
Vienna Teng - The Tower_

Shielding Hinata from view with his own body, Aburame Shino knelt in the dirt, knees digging into the harsh unforgiving ground. His glasses had slipped slightly, and the rims of his eyes were visible above the smoky lenses. Brows drawing together with a single-minded intensity that had always annoyed Kiba, the Chuunin dug his fingers into the splay of dirt in front of him, burying them up to the knuckles. Murmuring something, he directed his chakra downward and felt the bugs leave by way of the path he'd created for them. 

Sweat slipped from his forehead, traveling down the side of his face and falling to reside in the overly high collar of his coat. A quick glance behind him told him that though she was unconscious, Hinata was still breathing. But she was also severely bleeding. There was no time to set up tents, and doing so would be far too obvious. He'd sent bugs ahead to scout the area and when they returned (many after using the underground passage to consume any nearby enemies) he would take her somewhere safe and treat her to the best of his ability. 

For now, he kept alert and kept her hidden behind him. The one bug he'd planted on her clothing would warn him of any approaching nin before they even appeared within his line of sight. For now, his concern for Hinata far outweighed his own thoughts of self-preservation. She had, once again, overdone it. In her fervor to prove herself, she'd taken on too many at once and fallen behind. He thought it time _someone_ told her that trying to be better than Neji wasn't necessary. 

Without support or encouragement from anyone but her teammates (and he himself wasn't very good at putting his regard for her into words), the Hyuuga heir completely overlooked her more prevalent qualities. She was kind, gentle, and liked to heal; qualities not suited for a ninja on the field. But neither he nor Kiba had been able to say that to her. Partly because they watched her struggle so long against a foe that wouldn't even acknowledge her, and partly because neither of them wanted her to leave their unofficial team. 

Gaze dropping, he waited. The bugs were returning. 

They poured from the holes created by his fingers, all vying for his attention at once. His lips faintly twitched as he held out his arms to them. Sometimes, they were like a gaggle of children, all wanting to be the first to share their accomplishments. Like any wise father, he waited for them to settle before he called out just one to relay the news. 

Sightless eyes peering in the distance, he murmured, "I see..." 

Nearby, there was a cave, made dry from the hibernation of a bear. The bear, however, had been taken by hunters and would not be returning. It would make the perfect place to take Hinata. No nin would want to disturb a bear's resting place, and they did not have the benefit of bugs to give them the proper information. 

"Good job," he told them, letting them settle to feed. 

Turning, he lifted Hinata into his arms effortlessly and leapt, taking to the trees. She'd grown little in the last five years. Even barely cresting the verge of womanhood, she was tiny and delicate; far suited to other things than hurting people. He knew she hated fighting. He knew she sometimes cried at night when she thought no one was listening. And that he'd ached to go to her and comfort, was not something he would ever share with anyone. Not even her. 

The blood on the outside of her jacket was cooling. The knowledge of that bothered him, so he pushed himself to move faster. According to his permanent residents, the cave was less than a mile out. It was hidden behind foliage and the thick bodies of trees. The cover would further aid them, and he was as always grateful that he had comrades that were relatively invisible to help him. 

"There? Yes, I see it." 

Dropping to the ground, he bent his legs to absorb the impact and to keep from jarring Hinata. Slipping through the foliage and behind the trees, he took her into the cave. The deeper they went, the drier it became and the warmer. The air flow here was different from outside, and it would protect Hinata from the weather. If he was right, and he usually was, it was going to snow soon. 

Falling to one knee, he cradled Hinata in his lap and quickly removed his jacket. He'd never shown them his face; not because there was anything to be ashamed of, but because the jacket would hide the openings that appeared in his skin when the bugs needed to leave. He doubted anyone would find it overly appealing to watch as bugs poured out of holes in his jaw. 

Laying Hinata to rest on his coat, he quickly unzipped hers, only hesitating when he came to the light blue shirt she wore beneath. Treating her would require removing her clothing and everything in him balked at the invasion of her privacy. Still... if he did nothing because of is own hesitation, she would die. Lips compressing, he slowly lifted her to remove her jacket and could do nothing but cut her shirt from her with a kunai, because it was too soaked with her blood to salvage. 

Shino lowered his fingers, and again paused. Her skin was a pale ivory and he had no doubts that it felt as soft as it looked. And try though he did, he couldn't keep his eyes from straying to the soft swell of her breasts beneath their binding. Swallowing once, hard, he mentally berated himself and looked away, reaching for the med kit. 

The gash in her abdomen couldn't be a normal one. Instead, it lay crosswise against her body, slashing between her breasts so that the bra she wore was barely held together by a string. Frowning, he grabbed what remained of her shirt and pressed it down on the wound, attempting to stay the bleeding. With careful motions, he cut the last string keeping her bra together and averted his face when it didn't fall naturally, but gaped open. 

Color high in his cheeks, he resolutely ignored the sight of her bare torso and reached for cleansing agents. Pouring them over the wound, he frowned intently and reached for needle and thread. The loss of blood and a blow to the head had rendered her unconscious. He was worried about a concussion, but he could only deal with one thing at a time. Her lack of response at the moment was a blessing. It would allow him to stitch her wound without hurting her. 

With quick, deft motions, he began sewing from the part of the wound nearest her navel. It was lucky his mother had forced him to learn to sew. All ninja could stitch out of necessity, but it was the control and the size of the stitches that would determine how badly it scarred. 

When he reached her breasts, he hesitated again. To sew between them would mean to constantly touch them... But he had no choice. Sweat slipped into his eyes, and he wiped it away with his free hand, knocking his glasses from his face. Ignoring them for now, he began the stitches, trying desperately to ignore the tingle that began in his fingers and settled in other unwanted places when the back of his wrist brushed her nipple. 

It was with some relief that he finished, and quickly bound her from navel to over the furthest reach of her breasts with bandages. Her coat was too soiled for use, so he wrapped her up in his and lay his hand to rest on her forehead. As much as it would pain her, he needed to wake her up. He couldn't chance she would slip into a coma and remain. Pain was always preferable to feeling nothing. 

Asking the bugs to lend him some of their chakra, he slowly built heat in his hand and infused Hinata with it until her eyelashes fluttered and she stirred. Pulling his hand away, he sat back on his heels and waited. The process was slow, but eventually those pale eyes which he had grown accustomed to seeing blinked several times and settled on him with a blankness that was at first alarming. Until realization set in and her cheeks stained pink. 

"Shino-kun..." 

She tried to sit up, and gasped at the resulting pain. 

Gently, he pushed her down. "Rest, Hinata. You've been injured." 

Touching her hand to her chest, it only occurred to her now that she was wrapped in his jacket. It was yards too big, and she couldn't even roll it up enough to get her hands out of the sleeves. He hated that he could think of nothing but how he liked seeing her in it. Couldn't his feelings for her leave him be for a while? Especially when she was injured... 

"S-Shino-kun... Your glasses..." 

He reached up, touching his face. They were gone, and in their place were ordinary brown eyes - calm, steady, and patient. 

"Yes. You've never seen me without them." 

Blushing, she brought her hands to her face and ducked her head. "I... I looked a couple of times with my Byakugan." 

Blinking in surprise, he gave her the barest of smiles. "Did you." 

"I'm sorry." 

Further startling them both, he laughed softly. "Don't be. The only reason I wear them is because the bugs leave through my eye sockets. Most would find that disturbing." 

Lowering her hands, she looked at him. Her fair complexion was only made more appealing when stained with the color of her shyness. 

"Kiba-kun and I... we wouldn't mind." 

It was her comment that kept him from reaching for his glasses. "Hm. You need to rest. You've lost a lot of blood. Here." 

Reaching into a pouch behind him, he pulled out a small skin filled with water. Kneeling next to her, he carefully lifted her head and gave her a few drops at a time to keep her from drinking greedily and getting ill. 

"Thank you," she whispered, as he laid her head on the pillow he'd fashioned from the various soft cushioning the bear had used for it's bedding. 

A soft gasp, and she was reaching for her chest again, breathing heavily as she squeezed her eyes shut from the pain. Frowning, he reached out and passed his fingers over her brow. She wasn't running a fever, which was a relief. 

Eyes opening, Hinata tried to smile. "Your... your hands feel cool." 

Unable to stand her pain, he said the first thing that came to mind. "I had a rubber ducky." 

"W-What?" Her clouded eyes cleared, became puzzled. 

"When I was a child, I had a rubber ducky. I would take it in the bathtub and pretend it had a family of ducks somewhere lost," he told her, matter-of-fact. 

Smiling, she pressed her hand to her mouth and giggled softly. "That's so cute, Shino-kun." 

Clearing his throat, he averted his gaze and failed to keep from flushing. He wasn't in the habit of sharing his childhood actions, but he wanted to take her mind from her pain. 

Her hand touched his. Looking back, startled, he stared at their joined fingers. 

"Thank you. For taking care of me." 

He could only swallow and nod. 

"Can you... can you help me sit up?" She asked quietly. 

"You shouldn't. Your stitches might come loose." 

"I'm sure they're more secure than you think, if you did them." 

Shino stared at her a moment, eyes still and steady on hers, before he nodded and positioned himself behind her, slowly sitting her up. The warmth of her back seeping into his chest clouded his senses, made him feel as if there was nothing between them at all. He wanted to move away from her, before he betrayed himself, but she turned and looked up at him. Their faces were so close, only inches apart. If he just leaned down... 

Unaware his eyes were on her cherry-soft lips or that he was lowering his head, he was startled out of his trance when she whispered, "Naruto-kun." 

Drawn back as if burned, he hastily stepped away from her and rose. Snatching up his glasses, he put them on his face to hide the flicker of pain in his eyes, and said, his back to her, "I'm going outside. To scout." They both knew it was a lie. He could have sent a bug; but he needed to put some distance between them. He had almost kissed her, knowing that she loved Naruto. 

It was snowing outside the cave. It wouldn't be long before the cold moved inward. They were going to have to leave as soon as Hinata was well enough. 

Watching the snow spiral, he lifted his hand and let the damp flakes melt on his overly heated skin. Sighing, he dragged a hand through his hair and wondered what he had been thinking. He knew better than that. Now Hinata would know his feelings for her, and it would make their interactions awkward. And if he'd just kept it to himself... there wouldn't be this pain. 

Rubbing his hand along his chest absently, he lowered his face and turned, only to come up short. Hinata was standing there, drowning in his jacket. It made her look impossibly small, as if it would swallow her whole at any moment. 

"Shino-kun..." Her cheeks were flushed again, but whether it was from embarrassment or the cold, he didn't know. 

Stalling whatever words she would've said, he murmured, "You should go inside, Hinata. You need to rest so that we can leave soon, and it's too cold for you to be out here." 

"I..." Lifting her hand, she dropped it and seemed about to turn, before something shifted through her expression. Determination set the gentle lines of her face and she took a hesitant step toward him. "Do you know... I like your jacket." 

He blinked. "What?" 

Pulling it tightly around her, she inhaled. "It smells like you." 

Tense, he made no motion to fold his arms to stave off the cold. He couldn't, not when heat had uncoiled in his core, traveling with a speed that would've made his bugs jealous. 

"And do you know why I loved Naruto? Because it was safe. He would never return my feelings, and so I could love him secretly and easily. I was afraid of rejection. I've always been afraid of rejection. Neji-niisan, my father... But I shouldn't have been such a coward. Not knowing I would never be rejected by the two most important people to me." 

Unmoving, he didn't know what to say, couldn't react. 

"I'm sorry for calling you Naruto. I was scared and so... I drove you away on purpose." 

Slowly, she made her way across the snow and lifted her hands. The sleeves slid down, bunching around her elbows, and she pressed her palms against his chest. Her fingertips burned through the thin cotton of his shirt. 

"Would you... Please try that again?" 

"Hinata..." 

"Please, Shino?" She whispered, reaching up to remove his glasses. 

Bereft of his shield, his inner turmoil was visible for her. Had she used Byakugan, she would have seen a great deal more than the scurrying bugs. 

"You called me..." 

"Shino," she replied, taking matters into her own hands. Rising on her tiptoes, she softly pressed her lips to his. 

When she would have pulled away, he drew his tongue along his bottom lip and slid his arms around her, drawing her in. As the snow fell around them, he took her lips, nudging them open to taste deeper of her, thinking that this was better than any of his imaginings. 

She was soft, where he was hard, and the snug fit of her against him did very cruel things to him, so that his mind was uncooperative and his body lethargic and aching. She made small, female sounds in the back of her throat and the noises made him want to touch in places he hadn't been invited. 

Breaking the kiss, common sense overtook lust. "We need to get inside." 

Without waiting for an answer, he bent at the knees and took her in his arms, walking them into the cave. She clung to him as if she didn't want to let him go. It did strange things to his stomach. 

"Shino..." She blushed furiously. "Do you want..." 

He stared at her. She still had his glasses. 

"Are you..." Clearing his throat, he forced himself to continue. "Are you asking me to... with you?" 

She immediately looked away, refusing to meet his gaze. 

Kneeling next to her, he took her face in his hand and gently turned her toward him. "Hinata... I want nothing more than to make love with you. But your stitches-" 

"They won't come out," she whispered, pressing her fingers together in a nervous gesture he was familiar with. "If you did them, they won't... I know you'll be gentle." 

He felt the flush creeping up his neck. "But, on a cave floor..." 

"The bedding here is soft, and your coat..." 

"Hinata. This would be your first time." He said it confidently. 

"Is it... is it that obvious?" 

"That's not it. I don't want you to regret..." He trailed off, gesturing helplessly. 

"Oh!" She seemed pleased, and smiled at him. "Is that all. They say you should do it the first time with someone you love, so..." 

Had either he or Kiba ever been able to deny her anything? 

Reaching out, he touched her face. No words were needed. He took his coat from her and spread it out beneath her. The bandages, he left alone, but he lowered his mouth to the exposed skin of her navel and dipped his tongue into the depression made where she had once been connected to her mother. And then lower, where he could lightly drag his teeth across her hip. 

She made delightful little noises, as if discovering herself for the first time with him. When he drew off her pants, her legs trembled and he touched her slowly, gently, until she grew used to him. Slipping his fingertips beneath the line of her sensible, cotton panties, he felt her tense and relax. He left them where they were, went lower, until he reached the spot he wanted. 

Shivering, she bucked into his hand. Her honest reactions were entirely too arousing, and he had to stop a moment to catch his own breath. Drawing his fingers down her center, he lowered his lips to her hip again and used his tongue to distract her as he slid first one, and then another finger inside of her, stretching, seeking. 

Whimpering, she greedily thrust her hips into his palm, and he smiled against her skin, using his free hand to relieve her of the last of her clothing. And, rising above her, he caught her eyes and held them as he pulled his fingers out and slipped them back in again. 

For someone so shy, she was open and free with her pleasure. As he let her grow used to the invasion, she reached for him, small hands grasping at the hem of his shirt, hesitating, and then plunging underneath. She traced the ridges of his muscles, stroked higher, and made impatient noises as he drove her higher. Until... On a sob, she bloomed for him, her hands fisting in his shirt, as her inner muscles clenched and spasmed around his fingers. 

He drew his fingers out of her, touching her face with his other hand. "Are you all right? You aren't hurt?" 

She laughed, the full, welcome sound of a female. "No... Well at first, but..." 

Dropping his head, he kissed her neck. "That isn't all there is..." 

Before he could even raise himself, she was pulling at his shirt, demanding it go over his head. Straining against her binding, she lifted herself up and touched her mouth to his skin. Air that had trapped itself in his lungs burst forth, and he closed his eyes when she used her tongue. 

She was drawing him down, with her. He went to brace himself on either side of her, but she grasped his hand and placed it on her chest. Unwilling to tell her he didn't want to disturb her bandages, he pulled them down over one breast, watching in fascination as the friction raised her nipple. Palming it, he lowered his head and took it in his mouth. 

Making pleased sounds, she moved against him. 

"Ah... Hinata..." 

"Please..." 

Did she know what she was begging for? 

He had help getting his pants off. She tugged with him, impeding the process, until he laughingly told her it would be easier to let him do it by himself. When they were both naked, and he lay full against her, marveling at the slide of skin on skin, she opened for him and took him deep inside. 

They moved together, and though she demanded a rhythm to match her need, he kept it slow and torturous, building them both until she crested, shattering with a cry and his name, as her fingers dug into the muscles in his shoulders. He came after, startled by his own intensity and the helpless way he spiraled down, chasing her. 

Later, when their hearts had slowed and they were wrapped in one another, covered by only his coat, he closed his eyes and heard her whisper, "You're mine now." 


End file.
